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New to RP, and a little lost. Have several questions.


MikeRaffone

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First, hello!

 

As the title says, I am brand new to RP and FFXIV in general (played for a few months). I have played MMO's many years ago (Lich King days of WoW, then SWTOR on release), but have never really ventured into RP of any type. (Besides just messing around IRL and speaking as another person. eg. Mr Bean)

 

I do find the whole thing very interesting, but am intimidated as I don't really know what I am doing. I have been reading around and see what others are doing, and I mean, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that people RP basically everything you can think of.

 

As I am really new, I have some extremely basic questions that I am just looking to get cleared up. As it may show, I tend to overthink everything.

 

** I have read this site's 'frequently discussed subjects', read the 'Role-Play Handbook' and ALL of the other resources I could find before posting this. **

 

1. Do RPers ALWAYS communicate OOC first?

I was reading something that basically said if you see RP going on, it's best to ask OOC in /tell if you can join in. While this makes perfect sense to me for many reasons, it does feel like that would break immersion. Just looking for clarification on how this normally works.

How much of RP is also talking OOC to others to get each others intentions?

 

2. In the game it is very obvious what people's names are, as they have names floating above their head. In RP, do people ignore this? Or is it just assumed that people know your name and vice versa?

 

3. I'm going to use a recent experience to explain some of my questions. I went to a bar/nightclub in FFXIV, and a bartender was selling drinks. Say I wanted to get a drink. Which is more normal, just using the 'say' chat, or whispering/telling as you are speaking to that person directly? Would I know the bartender's name?

I would think that you'd play this out as if it were a real bar. (walk up to bar, wave/say hi to get bartender's attention, ask about drink specials, order the usual, then make a terrible joke and pay for the drink. Maybe if you went to a bar a couple times you'll get their name) - Let me know if this is kinda correct.

 

4. I'm also wondering when to use say vs tell. Everything we say IRL is out loud, so to me, RP would be mostly 'say' chat. I may be totally wrong on this. Of course private convos would end up in a tell/group chat.

 

Last questions I'll ask here.

5. I hear a lot about people making connections outside of the game to then RP within the game. How important is that, and how common is that? I basically just expected that people go to the same place coincidentally and meet, then form friendships and OOC connections from there. But it all seems like it is more organized than I initially thought.

 

Is there anyone out there who would consider being an RP 'mentor'? Just someone I can ask my questions too and maybe RP with or find more communities with.

(oh, I lied. I asked another question)

 

Thanks to anyone that read this whole thing,

Mike Raffone

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1)  If it isn't someone you know, it's always good to whisper ooc to make sure you wouldn't be interrupting an important scene.  Now, if both rpers have WU or walk ups welcome in their search info, I see it as probably okay.  I'm generally in the camp of ooc whisper first, it's just polite.

 

2)  Again, unless you know the person IC, you won't know their name.  Rpers are good at getting that info out pretty early in a scene.

 

3)  You have the right idea.  I've actually worked the club scene for a long while, currently the VIP photographer for one.  Go with what feels right to you.  Some bartenders use whispers if it's a patron heavy night to try to limit chat scroll for everyone.

 

4)  Say is for most general speech and I use tells to indicate whispering to that character.  Everyone has their own method of doing this, though.

 

5)  Random meet ups are well and good.  Sometimes they lead to more rp.  The thing about meeting up on say, discord, is that you're meeting with a rper that has the same interests as you and discussing viability of a scene.  Think of it as a pre screening for interests.  Some of us also rp outside of the game for more personal scenes or just due to availability.

 

I'm happy to act as a mentor if you feel you need it. I've helped out plenty of new rpers and love seeing them get immersed in the community.

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Hey there! o/ You're always free to bug me for any RP questions! If you've got a discord, you can add me there, or message me on here or whatever's best for ya! :3 I've been RPing for like... 15ish years now? >_>;; And specifically in FFXIV for a couple years, so I'm not an expert or anything but I've seen my fair share and would love to help you out however I can!

 

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1. Do RPers ALWAYS communicate OOC first?

 

This definitely depends on the situation, the type of RP environment you're in, and your own preferences (as well as the other person's preferences!). Let's say you go to some kind of open RP venue, such as a bar/tavern/restaurant or an event like a beach party -- here, there's really no need for OOC communication before jumping into RP interaction! People will usually throw on their RP tag in front of their nameplate, and just be in-character in the chat. In these types of environments, it's totally okay to just hop in with RP! Now, if you see like a small group of people RPing somewhere and you'd like to know if you could join in or interact with them, it's always just polite and cautious to send a /tell and make sure they're okay with it! Usually they will be, if they're RPing in say chat, but it's polite to ask since you don't know if they have specific plans for where the story is headed.

 

Situations in which you do a lot more talking OOC with someone is typically when you're browsing through people's RP carrds/profiles and trying to set up a possible connection/RP session with them. Especially if you're trying to 1x1 roleplay with someone, it's probably best that you guys at least establish a little bit of OOC communication! At least just enough to know each other's basic preferences and boundaries. Personally I like to even establish some kind of basic starting plot point with someone as well, such as "oh, I saw you mention in your character bio about being wanted in this city, maybe mine has been hired to collect your bounty and has tracked you to your current location?" These are often called hooks in the FFXIV RP community, and many roleplayers will even offer multiple hooks on their RP profile!

 

The amount of OOC communication you do with someone completely depends on the both of you. I've met RPers that I talked to extensively OOC, I've met RPers that I exchanged only a couple DMs with before jumping into a RP. Some people I've talked to for years and we've STILL never actually gotten around to roleplaying lmao, and some I don't think I've ever actually spoken to them OOC at all, and have only ever interacted with them in-character! So it really just depends. I'm chatty OOC, my character is chatty, I kinda just go with the vibes. Since everyone is different when it comes to this, the best thing would be to just go with the flow. Once you start getting the hang of it, you'll find out what you prefer to do more, and you'll probably start leaning more towards RPers who share that preference.

 

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2. In the game it is very obvious what people's names are, as they have names floating above their head. In RP, do people ignore this? Or is it just assumed that people know your name and vice versa?

 

Typically RPers will not automatically know your name, and you're not expected to know their name. There are exceptions, of course -- maybe someone's character is a renowned performer, a notorious bandit, or some kind of political figure. If their character is well-known, it could be reasonable that your character knows who they are. There are also times where someone's in-game name might not actually be their character's name! They might be named Lucifer Morningstar, but perhaps they don't go by that name in RP or strictly go by an alias. Or maybe they just don't wanna pay $10 for a name change. Either way, the safest bet is to make your character have no idea what their character's name is, until they introduce themselves through RP.

 

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3. I'm going to use a recent experience to explain some of my questions. I went to a bar/nightclub in FFXIV, and a bartender was selling drinks. Say I wanted to get a drink. Which is more normal, just using the 'say' chat, or whispering/telling as you are speaking to that person directly? Would I know the bartender's name?

 

I've seen plenty of venues that use /say and plenty that do /tells !! Personally I've noticed that the bartenders will speak up first, whether welcoming you in say chat and offering to get you something, or sending a tell, and I just go with whichever method they use! If it's an especially busy bar, the say chat might be FLOODED and moving extremely quickly so it could be really hard for them to keep up with checking to see if anyone's talking to them, so I'm sure tells are more easily manageable, but if they RP at me in say chat then that's where I respond! :P And no, generally you wouldn't automatically know their name unless they introduced themselves or another character introduced them (i.e, "go see Ashe at the bar for drinks!")

 

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4. I'm also wondering when to use say vs tell. Everything we say IRL is out loud, so to me, RP would be mostly 'say' chat. I may be totally wrong on this. Of course private convos would end up in a tell/group chat.

 

I think it just mostly depends on your RP environment! Say chat is usually the default, especially at a big public venue, but keep in mind it is public and anyone nearby you can see/read what's going on. This could include people who want to jump into the RP (whether wanted or unwanted) as well as non-RP players that wanna interject with commentary (doesn't happen often, but I've seen a few instances where someone wanders around like a heckler or a troll for lulz). If you're interacting 1x1 with someone or you're in a small group, you guys can party up and then RP in party chat so it's closed to the public. Usually if my bf and I go to a big public venue, we RP with each other in party chat so we don't miss each other's posts, but interact or talk to everyone else in say chat (kinda like whispering to your date when you're out somewhere!).

 

Also keep in mind, the radius for say chat is pretty small and there have been times I didn't realize I was missing like half the RP posts in a group RP scene because I was juuuuust out of range. So using party chat helps with that too, if people are spread out a little bit.

 

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5. I hear a lot about people making connections outside of the game to then RP within the game. How important is that, and how common is that? I basically just expected that people go to the same place coincidentally and meet, then form friendships and OOC connections from there. But it all seems like it is more organized than I initially thought.

 

It all depends! You can certainly go to RP events and meet people and go from there, or you can find people outside the game and form OOC connections that then lead to in-game RP! You can do a little of both! Personally in my own experience, I've found that meeting people through in-game RP first leads to more casual, short-term RP contacts, while finding people outside the game and communicating OOC first tends to develop into more long-term connections. But there's always exceptions, and everyone is different! Plenty of people STRICTLY only meet people in-game through RP and have their whole friend list filled up, while others strictly do it the other way! You just kinda gotta feel for people's vibes, look around, maybe try both methods and see which one fits your style and preferences more!

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@Shev

@SinfulFox

Thank you both so much for your amazingly informational responses!

I realize these are kinda silly questions, but as someone who is brand new to all this, it's all a bit daunting. I understand much more about the character building and acting than I do the actual mechanics and logistics of the whole thing.

 

There is a very good chance I will be messaging either of you here on this site for help should I run into trouble or confusion.

 

Seems the best thing to do is just jump in and get my feet wet. I'll be working on my character to be ready for the weekend and take it from there.

 

Thanks again! I truly appreciate the responses! :3

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@MikeRaffone No worries! And pfft, whether they're silly or not, you should ask them anyways! How else are you supposed to learn? :3 Either way, do feel free to message me on here for any more you have, but I agree! I think the best way to figure it out is just to jump into it, and don't be afraid to make some mistakes or slip-ups along the way!

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The other already pretty much answered the questions, in what I think is the best way. Just take your time, RP is very daunting. Even as a long time RPer, 20 years or so, I still find the aspect of making a character and jumping in terrifying. Take your time. Think of a personality, or trait that intrests you, or just be yourself in this whole new world. Make minor adjustments to fit the theme or setting, like FF14's speech. "Pray, answer me this question," or "I want to become a full-fledged summoner ere long" As basic examples. And as hard as I know it is, try to not overthink. Its a blessing and a curse all at once. Some of my best ideas come when I'm in an idle mind or at work, and very seldom when Im actively trying to think up a full character personality, history, flaws, goals, and so on. For me, when I 'try' to think, I tend to get stressed out by all the different facets that make up a person. Think, you didnt become you in a day. You took years to develope the personality you have now. Make a basic persona, then let time, and other interactions dictate who that character is, wants to be, and becomes~
 

I'm sure you'll do fine, and same as Shev and SinfulFox, I'd be more than happy to help with questions, concerns, idea bouncing, or some casual RP or banter. Most all the RPers I've met are way too nice of people.
Also, welcome to the dork side~! 😜

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@MikeRaffone No worries.  I'm a long time rper, not just in ff.  Currently my efforts are focused on art/worldbuilding for a game my friends and I are making, but I'm always happy to sit down and help.  Again, you already have the right idea.  Jump in, make mistakes, make friends, and most importantly, have fun.

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Hello there, Mike, welcome! :D

1) You certainly don't have to communicate OOC first. If you see anyone with their RP flag up and/or emoting IC, you can just approach them IC if you would like. Typically if someone is RPing in public, they're open to walk-ups, especially if it mentions as much in their search info. Asking OOC just helps if you want to arrange a particular scene, make sure they're not AFK, and make sure they're open to the idea, but that's all optional. I just wouldn't recommend approaching someone IC if they're aren't emoting or flagged for RP even if their search info says they're a RPer, since they may not actually be IC/available at that moment. You could do as much or as little talking OOC as you want, but RP can require some OOC communication from time to time (scheduling time for RP, planning a story, expressing any concerns or asking questions for clarification on something, etc.).

2) You typically want to ignore in game names unless there is a reason your character would know (they have already met, they have heard of the person, someone else said the name, etc.). Sometime's a character's name IC may be completely different than they're in game name. It can be difficult to keep track of what names your character does or doesn't know, though, so most people will be understanding if you slip up (though they may give you an "Oh, I didn't know I'd told you my name?" IC).

3) You are correct in that you want to play this out like a normal interaction you'd have at a bar in real life. That's what RP is; pretending to be your character in these situations. Your character wouldn't know the bartender's name unless you have a reason for them to. Typically, you would just use /say and /em. If it's very busy, some venues will ask you to send any food/drinks in a /tell instead. You could also use /tell if you are more comfortable that way, but /say is the norm.

4) You will typically use /say and /em for RP. If you're doing an RP you want to keep private or doing a one-on-one RP you can use /tell or /party if you'd like, and of course use those for ERP or any sort of adult/mature RP. If during any RP scene your character is whispering to someone, you can send them a /tell if you don't want others to be able to read it and potentially metagame (react to it when their character shouldn't be able to hear it). Otherwise during RP, /tell is mostly for OOC communication. If you are concerned about OOC convo and RP posts getting confused with each other, when you are speaking OOC you can use double parentheses ((like this)).

5) It's as important as you want it to be, I suppose. If meeting others solely in game through RP works for you then that's great. A lot of RPers do for various reasons try to avoid the RP hotspots in game. Networking OOC and out of game allows you to find more people, and also if you want, to narrow your search to specific things, like RPers who are looking for similar types of RP, people with the same timezone or availability as you, certain character hooks (i.e. looking for a character who can teach yours how to swordfight), and such. Unfortunately if you are playing on Exodus, I'm not sure what the RP scene there is like. There may not be a lot of in-game RP to randomly stumble upon and I'm not sure what RP hotspots there are on Primal data center.

And as for the bonus question... I'm happy to answer any questions you have about RP! ;)

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